H.D., 1886-1961

A true gem of the university’s rare books collection, this is the first American Edition and the first poetry book by H.D.
This book is one of the most important collections of Imagist verse. In Sea Garden, H.D. writes about her inner world by using images from the outer world which include flowers, rocks, water and characters
from Greek mythology.

Throughout her career, it is apparent that H.D. was deeply interested in the mythology and history of Greece and Egypt. The
poems in Hymen reflect her interest in those two countries. Interestingly, the poem “Egypt” from this book is dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe.
The book itself is dedicated to Bryher, her partner, and Perdita, her daughter. It was printed by The Egoist Press in London
which was connected to a famous journal during the Imagist period, one which H.D. herself (and her husband Richard Aldington)
edited for some time. This book is in fragile shape, but is very important to the history of Imagism because it shows the
way the ideals of that period began to lose significance as poets shifted in other directions.

This book was published at the time of H.D’s 75th birthday and it is a testament to her longevity and her ability to withstand short-term trends in literary history. Helen in Egypt explores the life of Helen of Troy and the inner world of all women who are searching for an understanding of themselves.
Again, this book concerns itself with Greek and Egyptian myth, but in this case, it combines both poetry and narrative fiction.

This thin book was illustrated by Wesley Tanner, and the colors inside add to the poems “Star by Day” and “Wooden Animal,”
which were both written in 1937. This is one of just 26 copies of the book that was signed by the artist and hardbound.